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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. drill — army training
  3. land — to come down
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fine — high quality
  6. suit — to fit
  7. band — a music group
  8. bass — the fish
  9. band — a ring
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pit — in a race
  12. land — ground
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pit — a hole
  16. club — for golf
  17. land — a country
  18. club — a group
  19. bass — low music
  20. drill — the tool
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fine — all right
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com